Power Line and Rabbit
by Irina Gras
Summary: She had unorthodox methods to dealing with her problems, getting away from the routine and familiar faces was a way of being able to face herself and her own demons, away from the past in every corner and that's how Bon Temps became her new home.


_Just some quick words of importance: I have altered some things about Effy's generation of Skins, but all that you need to know will be said, so keep on reading and it will fall into place._

**Power Line and Rabbit**

_By Irina Gras_

1.

She had never been one to run away from her problems like a spoiled little child, she usually faced them no matter how hurtful and unorthodox her methods were, she would face them one way or another. Which was also why she saw this decision as a way to deal with her predicament, moving was a decisive point in her being able to grow as a human being, she needed to get away from the routine, from the same faces, from a past that followed you everywhere you went, so she could start off from scratch and figure out who she really was, so she could get pass her own devils and accept them as well.

"You've always been so sure of your decisions sweetheart, so I guess I just wish you a nice trip" wished her mom, a bit awkwardly, in that way of hers, which she loved anyhow "remember to call once in a while, please" she kept on.

Having both children away from home, Tony off to University and she going abroad, was starting to show the tiredness in her mother's face… But Anthea was strong, she was like herself, she knew that, and she would manage in her own way.

The flight attendee called the last passengers and she smiled giving Anthea a quick but warm hug, it was a special occasion.

"Bye mum" this once letting go of her customs of calling her mother by her given name.

"Bye Effy…" she heard her mother silently say as she headed off.

The long walk until the plane was rather fast and extremely peaceful, she was not overly excited, but then she rarely ever was with anything else, but on a good note, there was a sense of tranquility about everything going on.

She took her seat in a very comfortable business class enormous chair, grabbing her brown leather satchel she pulled out a small container smiling at the last time she stole her mother's sleeping pills. Popping two of them in her hands she was out in less than twenty minutes and very glad for she was not very fond of airplanes for the matter.

In her dream she had flashes of images and sensations, floating in the ocean, a very bright sky and a very grey one afterwards, her brother's dark hair being brushed by the wind, the sidewalk nearby the river, Cassie's joyous expression and the comforting sound of Chris laughing.

It was such a bittersweet and lovely dream; sadly it was interrupted with the sound of wheels coming in contact with the ground. It amused her that she had not dreamed about any of her "new" friends; she had a certain fondness for them, but the comfort and security she felt with her brother's friends were nothing compared. She loved them, and even if they had not shared as many moments… The ones they did, be it all of them together, or separately, made her love them for what they were, such special people.

But all that is too good, all that makes you become dependent or way too comfortable must end, because it weakens people, change must happen, otherwise life becomes a routine and what is too good is taken for granted and not appreciated, and she knew that all of them would come to an end at some point, not that they would stop loving each other, splitting was just inevitable, they all knew, accepted and moved along, taking in their baggage this warm feeling of something cherished that would never be forgotten or changed in that fraction of time.

Shaking her mind from her own thoughts she stretched out a bit, gathered her satchel and jacket and marched towards the exit, everything else was a bit of a blur, going through immigration, stating her reasons of getting into United States of America and the state of Louisiana in particular, making it clear that she was no terrorist and that she was staying with a relative due to health issues, always very polite though her British accent plus appearance always made it easier to charm the rest… Collecting two bags, passing more corridors and walking some lengths, she felt a bit underwater.

"EFFY" was all that said in the sign her father's cousin held, and she could not contain a small smiled that made its ways to her lips. Joseph occupied a special spot in Effy's heart, they had met three times in her whole life, but both held this common understanding, sense of humor and shared silence that made each one extremely dear to another.

Joseph was in his mid thirties and recently finished his degree and masters on architecture and psychoanalysis, he was a good looking lad, as her mother often put him, brown shaggy hair, dark green eyes and strong lines, not too tall and not too small, still taller than Effy though, which was not a very difficult thing to achieve. In the three times she met him and every once in a while when she came across a photograph she mused on how her father managed to get himself such a good-looking cousin.

"What's up kiddo" he said giving her a big smile, she loved the fact that he had not hugged her, he was a person of whom she respected so dearly, he knew not to invade people's spaces, especially when dealing with her, instead he offered a beautiful and inviting smile, giving her the perfect opening so that she could slowly encircle her arms around him and rest her head in his chest.

In many ways Joseph was like Tony, but he was also different, she guessed he would be the oldest brother, the one that just looks at you with smiling eyes all the time and that you will forever be small, and she liked that, it was what she needed right now, and she knew that it was him whom was going to teach her some of the things that she needed to learn, that neither Tony nor anyone one back in England would be able to, because they were not this person.

"So off we go, we've still got a two hour and a half hour drive ahead of us!" he said enthusiastically as he grabbed her luggage and walked towards the parking lot telling her about his latest impressions on a movie as they drove.

In between Joseph talking a lot and Effy giving a small opinion here and there and smoking her cigarettes she felt the need to say it.

"I'm glad to be here Jo"

He simply smiled looking ahead and answered "I'm glad you're here too kiddo"

"You completely lost your accent," she added and he laughed.

"Small traditional American towns do that to you after some years love, but tell you this secret, get me drunk and I speak like Queen Elizabeth herself"

"That I will look forward to" giving a small laugh she looked at him sideways

"Oh kiddo, you'll make some heads turn with those big eyes you've got" she simply poked him after the comment and went on smoking and enjoying the old rock song that was playing in the radio.

The sun was up and the air was hot, her hair was messy and blowing with the wind while her head rested in the window support when she spotted an old wooden sign with cursive golden letters in which it read "_Welcome to Bon Temps_"

"Hope you won't regret it, it's very small after all, smaller than Bristol"

"I don't really like big cities"

"Keep that thought then" he joked.

Bon Temps was definitively a small town, the wind brought up that rarely anything happened around there, everything seemed stuck in time, as if the city itself lived based on its own clock, time passing by very slowly. The few buildings were very small, three floors tops and the rest were houses and small shops.

They kept their journey getting further away from the town center, deeper into the wildness of New Orleans until they reached this big clearing where sat a rectangle shaped glass concrete house, Joseph had really outdone himself, she would definitively enjoy her time living in this house.

He showed her around, living room with an American kitchen, his office, guest room, his room and finally hers. The whole house was modernly decorated, and as he said, "since we get a lot of sun, everything is eco around here, which is a nice touch" smiling proudly of himself.

He then excused himself so he could finish some work due to tomorrow and she went to her room, it was just as spacious as the rest of the house, in the middle sat a comfort looking low king sized bed with black linen, white walls, two garment racks, a medium sized white wardrobe and a door that probably led to the bathroom. Without unpacking she took off her black leather boots and threw herself into a dreamless sleep.

She woke up to the soft sound of knocks in her door "Effy? I'm coming in!" followed by a laugh; she spotted Joseph looking fondly at her "sleeping much kiddo? Must've been a tiring trip… I'm going out for a bite, if you're feeling too tired I can bring you some takeaway"

"No, I'm good, can I shower first?" she was curious anyway to take a look around town, see what kinds of people lived around.

"For sure, I'll be waiting in the living room"

Getting rid of her thin layer of a dress she got into the shower that seemed like a waterfall. Like the rest of the house the bathroom was made of glass but had the view to a closed small garden. Showering felt relaxing, scrubbing her head and body made her feel clean, in the inside and outside.

The clock pointed half past five when she finished applying a thin layer of black makeup in her eyes and slipped into her leather boots and met Joseph in the living room. The car ride was quick and they soon parked outside the place called "Merlotte's".

* * *

"Sook, can you get Mrs. Bodehouse's table?" asked Sam who was helping Tara at the bar; dealing with the drunks was always busy, especially on Fridays.

"Sure thing Sam" in the good humor she was in she went towards Jade Bodehouse's table, where she sat with the same hunting for men expression she held in her face every time she came to Merlotte's. After getting her usual order and going in the direction of the kitchen, the doors to the diner opened and Sookie's attention was taken as she placed the small paper over Lafayette's counter.

She knew Joseph Stonem alright, he was a nice chap, always kind, but reserved. What got her interest, and apparently everyone else that wasn't too concentrated on drinking was the petite girl walking behind him with a nonchalant feel.

Sookie had seen many beautiful women, especially the dead vampire ones, like the Queen of Louisiana, Jessica and Pam, but this girl, she was something else, she was probably the most exquisite and beautiful she had ever seen.

"Hey Sookie, doing fine?" Joseph was talking with her.

"Sure, Friday isn't it? Makes people happier" she answered smiling, the girl was staring at her and she felt her breath catch, her eyes… It was almost scary the way they shone.

"This is my cousin Effy, from England" he quickly introduced.

"Nice to meet you Effy, you here for vacations?" it sounded like the typical question made out of politeness, but she was actually curious.

"Maybe… It's nice to meet you too" she shrugged in a very British accent, Brits spoke beautifully she thought, remembering her afternoons watching Pride and Prejudice and many other British dramas and getting dreamy over their speech.

"And who might this beautiful lady be?" she heard Sam to her right coming to greet his dear friend "didn't know you were able to get such company Joseph" he joked making both laugh.

"My cousin, Effy," she extended her hand greeting Sam, who apparently got charmed by her appearance as well "Effy, this is a good friend of mine; Sam, and he's also the owner of this diner"

"Jo has spoken about you before, nice to meet you in person Sam" she politely spoke. Sookie mused for a while if maybe everything that Effy girl spoke would sound polite to her ears because of her accent, with that thought she had a small laugh, controlling herself so not to be thought strange.

"Sookie, mind taking Joseph and Effy to their table?" Sam seemed in a hurry to get back at the bar and Tara was already shouting at some costumers.

"Not at all, my pleasure Sam" she guided them to a small table at the end of the diner and handed over their menus and excused herself, coming back a few minutes afterwards "so what can I get you?"

"I'll just have the regular burger and a beer, what about you Effs?"

"I would like some chips and a coke, please" so Brits used 'chips' for French Fries she assumed.

There was a moment of silence where Sookie got a bit curious and for a moment concentrated only in Effy's mind, she was a new person, and after all the weird stuff going on around their small town, she had to be sure she wasn't screaming "murder and blood" like crazy in her head.

But Sookie got herself a surprise.

There was no emptiness like Bill's head or any other vampire for a fact, but there were no thoughts as well… The more she stared into the girl's eyes the sound of the ocean got louder and louder and she felt like drifting further away from reality.

"Sookie? Are you ok?" Joseph's concerned voice shook her from her hazy state.

"Right on, I'll bring your orders in no time!" and she left, both embarrassed and curious about what happened.

* * *

"Ok, so let's update you about the wonders of the United States of America Effs!" said Joseph enthusiastically, she just stared at him curiously "so I know that Anthea, differently from my cousin, though I don't say it in a pejorative way, tends to alienate herself from the rest of the world news, so I guess you do the same?"

"Never been a big fan of news, so no, bit alienated myself," she answered honestly.

"So this can come out as a shock, but Effs, Vampires exist" he let her take in the news.

She just laughed, taking it as a joke to her being alienated.

"Sure, did you see the news about Jesus Christ appearing in Kings Cross? Seems he's making an alliance with the Jewish now"

"No, seriously Ef, I'm not joking on you not keeping up with the news, they've come out in the open, at least here in the United States, their community in England is shockingly small…" he kept on like it was the most ordinary conversation.

"You're not kidding?" she asked suspiciously.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact… One sec" he turned his head and started scanning the area, as if looking for someone, then he stopped in the direction where a red headed waitress was "Jessica!" he called and she came to their table.

"Hello Joseph" greeted the girl, and then looked at Effy a bit intrigued.

"Jess, this is my cousin Effy, from England"

They both nodded at each other.

"What can I do for you?"

"I would like to ask you for a favor… Effy doesn't really keep up with American news, and your community is rather small in her country, so she's having a hard time taking in the news that vampires are out in the open… Would you mind… you know?" he was a bit embarrassed, Jessica actually laughed.

"Not a problem Joseph, really nice to see someone that doesn't actually know we exist, so nice to meet you Effy" she said smiling at the girl, whose eyes opened in surprise as her fangs came out "but no need to worry, we can live off something called Tru Blood, synthetic blood, so we don't need to suck people's blood… Although not everyone does that…" the waitress muttered this last part in a low voice and waved as she excused herself.

"Fuck…" was all Effy managed to say.

"I know, I was surprised when I heard it the first time" he scratched his hair, thinking about what to say next "we've got a couple of incidents with them around the country, but I guess this stuff already happened before, policemen just put the blame on the wrong people… Don't worry though, some of them are very civil, the majority I've dealt with at least…"

"What are they like?" going past the shock she was actually interested about this, it's not everyday that you get to hear that vampires exist.

"Oh, their complexion is just like everyone else's, take Jess for an example, they were actually normal people before, like the movies we've seen, they get "turned" into vampires by other vampires… They do have a very pale skin that looks and is very cold; they're very fast and hmm… That's as far as my knowledge goes"

"So you deal with some of them?"

"Well, I'm a damn good architect aren't I? So many years of living must give you at least an exquisite taste, therefore why they like my projects," he said in a coquettish yet funny way, making her smirk in return.

"Here are your orders!" Sookie girl came and placed their orders at their table "enjoy" she said smiling, and then left.

They ate their dinners in a comfortable silence, paid for their food and left, but not without Sookie stopping them and inviting Effy for tea at her house tomorrow morning, since Joseph would be working anyway he supported the idea and she accepted.

On their way home Effy asked if they could stop by a convenience so she could buy some cigarettes and midnight snacks.

* * *

Bill Compton was buying his pack of Tru Blood at the local convenience store when he felt the smell, it was not strong, but its faint trace was unique. The store was not that small, and since the smell just recently got in he took his time, taking the Tru Blood from its display he started walking towards the direction of the smell.

The place was quite empty, there was a senior citizen reading a magazine, a lady buying a phone card at the counter and a man he recognized as a Merlotte's costumer grabbing some sauces… What was his name again? He usually greeted Sookie… Joseph. That's it. His walk came to a stop at the end of the right corner of the convenience, at the snack section, and there's where he saw her.

She was dressing in a unusual way, at least not common in Bon Temps, he supposed that what she was wearing was a "shirt", the fabric was very thin and sleeveless, actually showing a lot of her skinny back and ribs, so much that you could see her black lace bra. Small denim shorts and black leather lace-up boots that reminded him of his military days.

Curiosity took over him as her smell got stronger and he slowly walked in her direction and picked up a random snack, Sookie would probably like it anyway. He could see that she had dark brown hair and it was tied in a braid, but what surprised him was her stare as she turned to him, acknowledging his presence.

She silently studied him, in the same way he did with her, and they just stood there staring at each other. He actually felt a bit unnerved, for she looked as if she was not going to say anything and wouldn't be bothered if he didn't either.

"Effy!" she broke off the eye contact and looked behind her where stood Joseph, and without saying anything she just walked away. Bill just stood there, in a deep concentration that only broke off when the smell disappeared meaning that they had left.

When they got home Effy had already shrugged off the thoughts of the man from the store, guys usually did stare at her, and she smirked slightly wondering if he got a bit unnerved. Moving on she looked at Jo who was walking towards his study.

"Going to work?"

"Yeah…" he sound a bit disappointed "I've got this project to hand in to a important client tomorrow night, so better get over with it…"

"Lots of money?" she asked smirking.

"Lots of it actually!" he laughed "by the way, he's a vampire… know what, why don't you come with me Effs? He owns a club in a city not so far from here, and he's also a vampire, so you get to see a vampire nightclub, might as well be a once in a lifetime experience, what do you say?" he sounded so excited about taking her there that even if it was a shitty club she could not deny it.

"Sure, why not" she smiled slightly at his cheerful expression.

"Cool, and don't worry kiddo, I'll get us some pot to enjoy the night, since I know that you're not much of a drinker" that actually caught her in surprise.

"Me and Tony do actually keep up with each other a lot through emails and Skype sweetie," her laugh now echoed with his.

"Good night Jo"

"Night Effy"

Dressing one of Chris's old shirts she slipped under her covers and drifted off to sleep, her dreams a fine line between hell and paradise.


End file.
